Science news podcasts from the American Chemical Society

Episode 41 – December 24, 2007
Steps toward an urgently needed antidote for cyanide poisoning disasters; A culinary shocker: Cooking can preserve, boost nutrient content of vegetables; A new report challenging the idea that snuff is a safer substitute for cigarettes
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Episode 40 – December 17, 2007
How marijuana smoke contains higher levels of certain toxic substances than tobacco smoke; Research showing that existing biotechnology could save energy and cut CO2 emissions by 100 percent; A scientist’s “call to arms” research on antioxidants that help consumers
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Episode 39 – December 10, 2007
A golden bullet that shows promise for killing a common parasite; Solving another mystery of an amazing water walker; Toward a Rosetta Stone for the secret language of microbes
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The 12 Days of Holiday Podcasts
These audio snippets focus on chemistry’s lighter-hearted connections to the holiday season and are based on research from ACS’s suite of 36 peer-reviewed scientific journals.
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Episode 38 – December 3, 2007
Converting pollution from coal mines into clean energy; An unusual plastic that biodegrades much faster than regular plastic; The bloody truth behind some ancient African sculptures
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Episode 37 – November 19, 2007
Magnetic nanoparticles that detect and remove harmful bacteria; Using bark from the Magnolia tree to fight bad breath and tooth decay; How the world’s oceans could help slurp up carbon dioxide to fight global warming; New database screening criteria for improving the identification of anticancer drugs; Wiring up enzymes for producing hydrogen fuel cells; Developing a new generation of greener, environmentally friendly consumer products
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Episode 36 – November 12, 2007
Toward cancer drugs that penetrate 10 times deeper into the brain; Using “Dragon's blood” to quench stomach ulcer bacteria; How air pollution from ship smokestacks is linked to thousands of deaths annually; A breakthrough toward industrial-scale production of nanodevices; How the octopus and its kin are inspiring new camouflage strategies for military applications
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Episode 35 – November 5, 2007
A new fluorescent label that sheds light on brain diseases; How a government plan to revive the “Dead Zone” in Gulf of Mexico could backfire; New insights into how natural antioxidants fight fat; A faster, more sensitive method for detecting anthrax; The rebound of the medical plastics industry
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Episode 34 - October 29, 2007
Microplastics may pose a previously unrecognized pollution threat; A Rosetta stone for traditional Chinese medicine; Boiled peanuts pack a big antioxidant punch; A more comprehensive test for dissolved phosphorus; Unlocking the secrets of ripening for better tasting fruits and veggies
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Episode 33 - October 22, 2007
Excess female to male births in Canada linked to chronic dioxin exposure; Tiny capers pack big disease-fighting punch; Bacteria in the intestines can influence results of drug tests; Recycling of e-waste in China may expose mothers, infants to high dioxin levels; Chemistry of San Andreas Fault may offer clues to earthquake mysteries
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Episode 32 - October 15, 2007
A quick, accurate test to reveal illegal use of steroids; A new treatment for health problems related to low testosterone levels; An ultrasensitive method for early detection of human papilloma virus; How fruits and veggies stay nutritious as they age; How consumers have become the bottleneck in efforts to recycle plastics
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Episode 31 - October 8, 2007
Hyped-up hopes for hairy roots as biofactories; How targeting the body’s sugars could improve the treatment of bone diseases; Using human urine as a safe, inexpensive fertilizer for food crops; A new device that cleans up the air by capturing and storing carbon dioxide; Why Norway’s icy waters may be a ‘liquid goldmine’ in the quest for new drugs
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Episode 30 - October 1, 2007
A promising treatment for fighting lupus; Pollution in subways could cause lung damage; How ginger may combat infant diarrhea; Even hydrogen-fueled vehicles pollute the air; Why new medications for migraine headaches may be only a breath away
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Episode 29 - September 24, 2007
An intriguing new role for CDs and CD players; Whiter and brighter light-emitting diodes for homes and offices; How pomegranate juice plays a part in the fight against cancer; Printing with enzymes, not ink; The latest treatments against drug-resistant tuberculosis
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Episode 28 - September 17, 2007
A new technology for finding builders of homemade bombs; Improvements in gene therapy and treating Alzheimer’s disease; A new method for creating integrated circuits for more powerful computers; A fast, portable test to help detect flammable liquids in arson; Protective coatings that could prevent bridge collapses
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Episode 27 - September 10, 2007
How PCBs may threaten killer whale populations for 30-60 years; An advance toward new treatments for type 2 diabetes; Using magnets to boost production of ethanol for fuel; A discovery that promises more nutritional cassava for the developing world; A "lung on a chip" and other marvels from microfluidic devices
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Episode 25 - August 27, 2007
How some forms of good cholesterol can be bad for the heart; An advance toward a safer source of collagen; New evidence of an increased diabetes risk from high-fructose corn syrup; Pioneering odor tests on plastic water pipe; Current breakthroughs in solar power
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Episode 24 - Diabetes Pioneering Tests on Odors From Plastic Water Pipes
In a quest for improved drinking water, Andrea Dietrich is conducting pioneering studies on how plastic pipes affect the odor and taste of water.
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Episode 23 - Soda Warning--New Study Supports Link Between Diabetes and High-Fructose Corn Syrup
New evidence suggests that sodas sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup may increase the risk of diabetes, particulary in children. The study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 22 - August 15, 2007
Computers help chemists fight emerging infections; Common virus may contribute to obesity in some people; Revealing the secret role of estrogen in obesity; Detergents, eye rinses, and other products with an on/off switch; Helping the carbon nanotube industry avoid mega-mistakes of other new industries made in the past; Met inhibitors showing promise as a new weapon in war on cancer
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Episode 21 - When good cholesterol goes bad
When good cholesterol goes bad - This study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 20 - Sewage tells tales about community-wide drug abuse
Public health officials may soon be able to flush out more accurate estimates on illegal drug use in communities across the country thanks to a new screening test. The test does not screen people directly but instead seeks out evidence of illicit drug abuse in drug residues and metabolites excreted in urine and flushed toward municipal sewage treatment plants. It will be described in August during the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
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Episode 19 - Battling bitter coffee: chemists vs. main source of coffee bitterness
Bitter taste can ruin a cup of coffee. Now, chemists in Germany and the United States say they have identified the chemicals that appear to be largely responsible for javas bitterness, a finding that could one day lead to a better tasting brew. Their study, one of the most detailed chemical analyses of coffee bitterness to date, will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 18 - Cranberries may improve chemotherapy for ovarian cancer
Compounds in cranberries may help improve the effectiveness of platinum drugs that are used in chemotherapy to fight ovarian cancer, researchers have found in a controlled laboratory study. The scientists found that human ovarian cancer cells resistant to platinum drugs became up to 6 times more sensitized to the drugs after exposure to the cranberry compounds. The study will be described in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 17 - Acrylamide not linked to breast cancer in U.S. women, study finds
Foods that contain acrylamide are unlikely to cause breast cancer in women, according to preliminary results of a new study involving 100,000 U.S. women. The finding is the largest epidemiological study to date exploring the possible link between acrylamide and cancer in humans. The study will be described in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 16 - Revealing the secret role of estrogen in obesity
Research on the effects of the female sex hormone estrogen in the brain lend credence to what many women have suspected about the hormonal changes that accompany aging: Menopause can make you fat. In animal experiments, researchers showed how estrogen receptors in the brain serve as a master switch to control food intake, energy expenditure and body fat distribution. The study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 15 - Common virus may contribute to obesity in some people, new study shows
A common virus may cause obesity in some people, according to new evidence in a controlled laboratory study. Scientists showed that infection with human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), long recognized as a cause of respiratory and eye infections in humans, transforms adult stem cells obtained from fat tissue into fat cells. The study, which might lead to new treatments for obesity, will be reported in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston.
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Episode 13 - August 1, 2007
Potato chip flavoring boosts longevity of concrete; Bright future for new drug delivery system intended to minimize side effects; New process may enable motorists to fill er up - with wheat; Developing a toolkit for personalized medicine; Toward faster tests to identify carcinogens and other environmental toxins
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Episode 12 - July 25, 2007
Toward an alternative to stem cells for treating chronic brain diseases; Oil spill clean-up agents threaten coral reefs; First potential biomarker for human exposure to diesel exhaust; Fishing for an answer: Wild or farmed?; Well-intended research in the wrong hands can become a weapon of terror
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Episode 10 - July 11, 2007
Red blood cells talk to platelets, with implications for diabetes; Healthful compounds in tomatoes increase over time in organic fields; New process promises to reduce costs of a clean-coal technology; Preening over new technology for monitoring PCBs in seabirds; Tin whiskers grow into a multi-billion-dollar threat to electronics products
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Episode 09 - June 27/July 3, 2007
New longboat delivery system could mean more potent anti-cancer drugs; Moving ahead with guidelines to control indoor mold contamination; Jellyfish population explosion leads to new use for waste creatures; Polyurethane plastics from canola oil; Toward a contrast agent to expand medical use of LOIS imaging; Minding the Mercury
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Episode 07 - June 13, 2007
New hot pocket geography may point toward better avian flu drugs; Toward a much-needed new test for cancer of the urinary bladder; Protein-enriched milk may reduce need for antibiotics in animal feed; Crude oil contains less toxic mercury than coal; Concerns about safety of Chinese ingredients may be unwarranted when it comes to prescription drugs.
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Episode 06 - June 6, 2007
Scientists eye nanoparticles as glaucoma treatment; Better nutritional and safety profiles for genetically modified crops; Ultralong nanobelts for wiring nanoelectric devices; Milk does not reduce healthful effects of black tea; Fake money? Not if you see the twinkle in Alexander Hamilton's eye.
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Episode 04 - May 23, 2007
Toward more effective treatments for aspirin-resistant patients; New study supports stopping and restarting school buses to cut emissions; Wine may combat tooth decay and upper respiratory tract disease bacteria; Advance promises a new era in recycling of plastics; New medicines for Fido and Fluffy.
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Episode 03 - May 16, 2007
Equipping E. coli with a chemo-navigation system; Crusts from the Tower of London suggest yellowing in the future; Scientists isolate anti-cancer compounds from apple peel; New medications needed for neuropathic pain; Western drug makers expand use of Indias scientific talent.
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